- Township High School District 211
- Parent - Student FAQ's
Parent & Student FAQs
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In an attempt to address some of the more common questions, below is a series of frequently asked questions and answers, arranged by topic. These responses will help provide further clarification on the scenarios, plans for the coming school year, and the measures District 211 is taking to keep our schools, our students and staff, and our communities safe.
Parent & Student FAQs
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Safety Protocols
Q. Will visitors still be allowed on campus? If so, what will the process for visitors to the building look like?
A. Only essential visits to the school will be permitted. Parents that need to come into the school for meetings with staff will be required to make appointments in advance. All visitors entering the building will have their ID scanned with our visitor software, temperatures taken and asked to complete a series of symptom-check questions prior to admittance to the building.
Q. Will students be required to wear face masks all day while they are in school? If so, will the school supply students with masks?
A. For the health of our students and staff, students will be required to wear face masks while inside the school building. Students are encouraged to bring their own face masks and the school will have face masks available for students who need one. Whenever outside the school building, if students can maintain at least six feet of social distance from others, students may remove their face mask. See more details under School Safety Protocols on this page.
Q. What should I do if my child is ill and cannot participate in an online class?
A. If a student will not be participating in classes, parents should call the school’s attendance office to report their child’s absence and provide the reason their child will not be participating. Staff members will inquire about the nature of the absence, including the presence of symptoms consistent with COVID infection. The names of students with such symptoms will be provided to the school nurse for follow up.
Q. What current metrics are being used?
A. The Illinois Department of Public Health tracks the COVID-19 metrics. To access this information, you can go to the IDPH website at https://www.dph.illinois.gov/countyschool and find the Cook County Detailed Metrics & School Metrics. This represents suburban Cook County and contains details for Metrics for School Determination and Community Spread and Methodology.
Q. Will students need to certify they are symptom-free before coming to school?
A. On school days, while at home and before leaving for school, each student will be expected to complete a quick self-check for symptoms consistent with COVID-19 infection. Completed online using a personal mobile device or school-assigned iPad, the symptom check will provide an immediate date stamped confirmation message. Adhering to the mantra “If ill, stay home,” students with symptoms will not be allowed to come to school. Rather, a parent should report the absence to the school and then follow up with a physician for further guidance.
Q. Will schools check students’ body temperature at school?
A. As students enter the school, students’ body temperatures will be measured using thermal scanning cameras. Any individual with an elevated temperature will be escorted to the school nurse for further evaluation of readiness to attend school.
Q. Will specific measures be taken to maintain clean school facilities?
A. Throughout each school day, the custodial maintenance team will disinfect all high-touch surfaces such as railings and door handles. Additionally, common areas, such as hallways and cafeterias will be disinfected. After school and during the evening, the entire school will be deep cleaned to prepare for the next day.
Q. How will COVID-19 safety protocols be enforced?
A. It is important that students, parents, and staff understand the importance of all safety measures and work together to ensure the safest learning environment possible. We will focus on communications and education efforts to reinforce these concepts. Ultimately, the expectation to follow the guidelines will be reinforced by staff, and students will be expected to abide by staff direction.
Q. What process will schools use if a student or staff member is diagnosed with COVID-19?
A. Every case is handled individually, and the District will consult with the Cook County Department of Public Health for guidance about appropriate actions to take in the event a student or staff member reports a positive diagnosis. For example, if a student reports a positive test result, the student will follow instructions from their physician, which may include self-quarantine. The school will immediately contact the county health department and, depending on circumstances, the health department may initiate contact tracing to identify individuals who were in close contact with the infected student. Close contact is defined as being within 6 feet of the infected person for at least 15 minutes starting 48 hours before the person began feeling sick until the time the person was isolated. It is likely that anyone determined to have been in close contact with the infected person will be advised to self-quarantine for 14 days starting from the last date of possible exposure. While a student is observing self-quarantine, the student will participate in classes remotely. Any students or staff who were in a class, on a bus or athletic/activity groups with the person who received a positive COVID-19 diagnosis will be notified of the positive case. -
Transportation
Q. If students can come to school will buses run?
A. Yes, buses will be available for classes, academic supports, athletics, and activities. Transportation information can be found here.
Q. What safety protocols will be in place for students who ride the school bus?
A. The District’s Transportation department has adopted procedures to safeguard students’ well-being, including the expectation that all school bus riders wear a face mask. Students will load the bus back to front with only one student per seat and will unload in reverse order. School busses will be disinfected between bus routes and will be deep cleaned at the end of each school day. -
Meal Bags
Q. Will schools provide students with breakfast and lunch?
A. Meals will be available for students participating in either remote or in-person learning.
Q. How will meals be delivered to those who need them?
A. Information is posted on the Back to School 2020-2021 web page. -
Technology - Help Desk
Q. How do students get help if they have difficulty accessing their school email account, Schoology account, or Infinite Campus account?
A. Students experiencing technical difficulty should contact their school’s Helpdesk or support. Helpdesk contact information is listed below, and Helpdesk staff members will be available to assist students during normal school day hours.Main D211 Help Desk link
• Conant High School: 847-755-3761
• Fremd High School: 847-755-2761
• Hoffman Estates High School: 847-755-5761
• Palatine High School: 847-755-1761
• Schaumburg High School: 847-755-4761
• District 211 North Campus: 847-755-6761
• Higgins Education Center: 847-755-6761
Q. Where do students find the Zoom links to connect remotely to classes?
A. Teachers will establish Zoom links during the days preceding the first day of classes. Students should check their class schedule in Infinite Campus to see these Zoom links. Additionally, teachers will post their Zoom links on each course’s Schoology page.
Q. If my student is working remotely and the class is on Zoom and I lose my connection, can they still connect to the class in another way?
A. If a remote connection on Zoom fails, the student still has the ability to “phone-in” to the session using the link embedded in the Zoom invite.
Q. What do families or students do if they experience technology issues?
A. Technology staff in each building will be available to remotely assist students and parents at any time during the school day. Students and parents can connect to building technology staff using the school “Help-Desk.”
Q. What if a parent is unfamiliar with Schoology or Infinite Campus?
A. In addition to the Help Desk tool and direct assistance from our technology services personnel, the link below provides several video tutorials that provide guidance on the use of Infinite Campus and Schoology. https://adc.d211.org/Page/7133
Q. How do parents know if their child is participating in class when they are working remotely?
A. The Infinite Campus parent portal will allow parents to monitor their children’s attendance and completed assignments. Teachers will be taking attendance twice during each class, once at the beginning and again toward -
Remote - Hybrid Scenario
Q. When will the Hybrid Scenario begin?
A. The current plan for the start of school is the Remote Scenario and that will remain until the health of the region shows a steady decline of COVID-19 cases. At that time, small groups of students will be invited for in-person Academic Supports with safety protocols in place. Only after these small steps are in place will a larger number of students be considered. A Hybrid scenario with up to 50% of students rotating in-person learning may begin as soon as October 26.
Q. Will there be an option to choose 100% online school?
A. Families can decide to have their children work 100% remotely. Students that work remotely will be expected to “attend” their assigned courses remotely. Teachers will take attendance daily. Students working remotely will be expected to participate in their classes and complete the assigned work.
Q. What is being taught in a Remote or Hybrid School Day Scenario?
A. Each individual course being taught in a District 211 school includes a rigorous and relevant curriculum defined by Critical Learning Standards. The curriculum has been designed and modified over the course of many years in order to ensure that our Critical Learning Standards are aligned with state and national standards, represent the most current research in each field of study, and fully prepare our students to succeed after high school. Our curriculum is designed for a full in-person model of instruction over a school year. As we begin the school year with a Remote or Hybrid School Scenario, we want to ensure that our curriculum is translated for this model of instruction. The criteria include the following: which standards will provide students with essential knowledge, concepts, and skills needed for the next course/level; which standards provide crossover application with other content areas; which standards are needed for post-high school careers; and which standards are critical for early college credit. This work is accomplished collaboratively with teams of experienced teachers, department chairs, and administrators.These criteria, and the subsequent analysis of our course Critical Learning Standards, will allow our teachers to continue to provide a quality, comprehensive curriculum in each course. While the method of delivery and instructional experience is different from our traditional classroom model, we remain committed to providing excellent teaching in order to prepare our students for life after high school.
Q. When will I know what academic team I’m assigned?
A. Information about students’ schedules specifically which academic rotation team they are assigned to will be provided prior to initiating the hybrid model if/when it is feasible to fully implement that model.
Q. For families that have more than one child attending the school, if the school is in the 100% Remote or Hybrid Scenario, will both students be in the same schedule or team?
A. Students from the same family will be on the same rotational weeks for learning in-school and learning from home.
Q. If the situation changes, am I allowed to change my mind to allow my student to attend in-person?
A. The scenario the District is in may change between Hybrid, Remote, and Traditional scenarios. If the school is in a Hybrid Scenario, parents who choose for their child to go to class in-person may choose to have their child remain home. For first semester, parents who choose for their child to remain in class remotely will remain remote for a minimum, of the remainder of the first semester.
Q. Are school hours the same?
A. The start time for all schools will remain the same but the bell schedule will be modified under the remote and hybrid learning model. After-school extracurriculars will start at normal times.
Q. Is the curriculum cut in half?
A. The curriculum will not be reduced. The overall curriculum for each course will be covered and taught. Due to the modified approach to schooling, some activities that teachers typically employ cannot be replicated.
Q. Does my child remotely attend “study hall?”
A. Students do not attend “study hall.” No attendance is taken and there are no Zoom links. This is considered a time for students to work on their homework. All traditional scheduled “lunch periods” have been converted to study halls. If a student is attending in-person, a parent may give permission for their child to not attend study hall during 1A, 1B, 4A, or 4B (first and last class of each day).
Q. Will school attendance be mandatory?
A. Students are still expected to be “in attendance” either physically or remotely to their classes every day school is in session. The state law of mandatory attendance for all school-aged children remains in place but due to the pandemic, attendance remotely is permissible. Teachers will take attendance every day. This would be the same for those families that choose to have their children work remotely.
Q. What are the expectations for student attendance?
A. Students are expected to participate in school every school day by engaging through Zoom during the full class period and completing all expected assignments and instructional activities.Teachers will take attendance each period of the school day near the beginning of a class period, and again near the end of the class period. Students’ presence or absence will be reflected in the attendance record in Infinite Campus, and parents can verify their child’s attendance record via Infinite Campus. The school will take appropriate follow-up action to resolve a student’s unexplained absence from classes.
Q. What will grading look like this coming semester?
A. In both Remote and Hybrid Scenarios, the I.S.B.E. has stated that grading practices should be in place as they would in a traditional school year. As always, school personnel work with families through unique or challenging situations for students. Students will need to remain diligent in their homework assignments as typical daily assignments will be due the next time class meets.
Q. What will happen with orchestra, band, and gym?
A. Performing arts, electives, and Physical Education classes will be offered. All courses have unique circumstances and require a unique set of modifications to the logistics and activities surrounding the courses.
Q. When do Remote Academic Supports Start?
A. Academic Supports began on August 24. Sign-up information can be found on this page.
Q. How will students be able to get academic and counseling supports in the afternoon?
A. Students will be able to sign-up for academic and tutoring supports using an online registration tool. This will also be used to set-up meeting opportunities with counselors and other support services as well. The remote opportunities will begin as early as August 24.
Q. If we are in the remote scenario, will any sports take place?
A. The Illinois High School Association has developed a plan for fall sports that includes moving some to the spring. We will adhere to the IHSA’s scheduling and recommendation for all competitive sports. We are committed to providing opportunities for students to participate to the fullest and safest extent possible. The most recent IHSA schedule can be found at https://www.ihsa.org/News-Media/Announcements/ihsa-board-announces-modified-schedule-for-2020-21-school-year
Q. What will happen with sports and activities?
A. Athletic and activities may be offered depending upon the phase and scenario we are in at any given time. Athletics will largely be determined by the Illinois High School Association (IHSA), the Illinois Department of Health (IDPH), and the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) regulations and guidance. We acknowledge that extracurricular activities are a vital aspect to keeping students engaged and involved in the school community, and we are committed to offering these programs safely and to the best of our abilities whether it be in-person or remotely.
Q. Can students make changes to their daily class schedule?
A. All students must consult with a school counselor to discuss requests for changes to their daily class schedule. Counselors are available and can be reached by contacting the student services office at the student’s school. All requests are reviewed for alignment with the individual student’s academic needs, class size limits, availability of seats within sections of a course, and balance of student groupings under the Hybrid Scenario. Requests for changes based on convenience will not be honored. Additionally, students may not freely replace the study hall period representing their Traditional School Scenario lunch assignment with another course.
Q. Where are student class schedules available?
A. Student schedules are available in Infinite Campus.
